50 Classic Pieces

Classic, timeless, smart buys - call these pieces what you will, but depend on them regardless: these are the definitive items that have outlasted trends and fads. Today, they continue to ace the cost-per-wear calculation and provide a future-proof foundation for everyday chic.

Rendered in the industrial-weight Pocono nylon used for army tents, Miuccia Prada’s debut backpack turned the utilitarian staple into a cult carryall in 1984. Fast-forward some 30 years and the style still reigns supreme.

The ultimate chameleon, which can confidently punctuate any look, from Fifties garden party to Eighties glamour and Noughties office-smart. These clean-white courts would be verging on the clinical if it weren’t for the 5in heel.

The Sylvie’s future as a heritage piece starts here. For spring/summer 2017, Alessandro Michele has put a fresh spin on Gucci’s defining web stripe, adding grosgrain ribbon, a confident spring-buckle closure and a chunky gold chain. Consider it a brand-new take on the house’s codes.

It used to be about functionality, a protective raincoat worn by the soldiers of the First World War, but now its practicality knows no bounds. Day or night, come rain or shine, it works everywhere and with everything.

A single piece of jet-set jewellery will always dazzle against a backdrop of crisp white tablecloths and candlelit crystal. Start a conversation with Bulgari’s peridot set in coral, which reflects the house’s Mediterranean origins.

Designed to slot snugly under the arm (just like a French baguette), the first It-bag was Silvia Fendi’s 1997 reaction to the decade’s minimalism. Since then it’s appeared in countless covetable incarnations, from denim to paint-your-own.